More flights pushed for Yuletide season

By Dolly Yasa

 

BACOLOD City – Airline companies asked Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson to allow more flights this yuletide season.

Provincial Incident Management Team commander Zeaphard Gerhart Caelian said Lacson earlier granted the request for the resumption of commercial flights in December except on Dec. 24 and 25 and Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, 2021.

Presently, the three airline companies operating at Bacolod-Silay Airport are allowed one flight per week for the Bacolod-Cebu route and two flights per week each for the Bacolod-Manila route with a limit of 199 passengers per flight.

Caelian said because of the Yuletide season, more Negrenses are expected to come home.

He also admitted that the local transmission of the COVID-19 is a big problem and reminded returning Negrenses to comply with the requirements such as medical certificate and authority to travel.

Caelian also said that Sweeper flights are strictly for Negros Occidental’s Locally Stranded Individuals (LSIs), and Authorized Persons Outside of Residence (APORs).

All LSIs will be quarantined until they get negative results from their swab tests, he said.

From Dec. 1 to 8, Caelian reported that a total of 2,443 LSIs retuned to Negros Occidental, as well as 628 returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs).

Since March 30 to Dec. 8 this year, he also reported that 35,902 Returning Overseas Workers and LSIs returned to the province.

Caelian said 25,902 of them are LSIs from Manila and Cebu and 9,193 ROFs and OFWs.